Airplane-landing hook



May 22, 1928. 1,670,402

' E. S. CAMPBELL AIRPLANE'LANDING HOOK Filed Sept. 12, 1927 I NVEN.T0R

/ ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1 928.

UNITED... STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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AIRPLANE-LANDING HOOK.

Application ma September 12, 1927. Serial in. 218,808.

.This invention relates to improvements in traihng hooks for airplanes and more especially to the type of hook designated for" engagement with an arresting gear installation, as used for airplane landings in limited areas, employing a special arrangement of stretched wires. in such an installation,

longitudinal wires, (i. e.,..wires parallel to to foul and ride (or slide along) a longitu- .dinal wire. -This tends to hold. down the tail of the airplane without properly arresting its motion, resulting in increased lift from the wings (due to increased angle of attack and to the fact that a speed somewhat greater than the stalling speed is customarily maintained until actual engagement with the gear). -The plane will thereforeattempt to rise, the trailing hook still be ng engaged with and sliding along the longtudinal wire. Under such conditions it is improbable if not impossible for a trailing hook of the type customarily employed to engage a transverse wire as intended, in whi 'case the motion of the airplane will not be properly arrested thelanding will be unsuccessful, and a crash of more or less serious consequences will ensue. With my.

improved form of hook, however, proper enga ement with a transverse wire 18 1nsure even though the conditions conducive to the riding of a longitudinal wire are present. This is accomplished by the use of two hooks in tandem, the first being-designed in a-manner to insure its riding a lon 'tudinal wire if the airplane is skiddin ant? the last being so arran that it wil hang in proper position or en agement with a transverse wire, regardless 0 whether the combination is riding a longitudinal wire or acting in the normal manner. In the latter case, either hook may engage a transverse wireand arrest the airplanes motion' in the usual way.

These and other objects will ap ear as my invention is more fully hereina described in the. following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side" elevation of my improved form of hook in sliding en gagement with a landing platform showing a tragmentof wires of the arresting. gear which consists of a system oflongitudinal and transverse wires.

Rig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings:

Reference numeral 1 indicates the main member of a hook combination. 2 indicates a second hook member which is pivotally suspended from the hook 1, as indicated at 3. Suitable abutment stops 4 being provided on the hooks 1 and 2 to prevent, the second hook from swinging upwardly with respect to the hook 1 beyond the position shown. 5 indicates a. controlling cable extending from the hook 2 up through the fuselage of the airplane to a point within convenient reach of the operator, for raising and lowering the combination. one of the longitudinal wires, and 7 one of the transverse wires of an arresting gear installation.

Since it sometimes happens that a plane making .a landing approaches the arresting gearsomewhat on an angle with respect to the longitudinal wires (1. e., skiddin as shown in Fig. 2, the hook member 1 is dated outwardly as at 6 purposely to enga e and ride a longitudinal wire, during whic time the lowermost, or second hook 2 will hang in such aposition as to insure its engaging a cross wire.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I

Having thus described my invention; what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hook member, a second hook swingably suspended from the first 6' indicates mentioned hook, means formed on said first for sliding engagement with longitudinal mentioned hook for engaging arresting gear wires of an arresting gear; to permit the 1 at any angle. said supplemental hook to position itself by 2. In a device of the class described, a. gravity for engagement with oppositely dis- 5 main hook member depending from an airposed wires of the arresting gear.

plane, a supplemental hook swingably sus- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

pended from the said main hook member, means formed on the main hook member EDWARD STRONG CAMPBELL. 

